Mea Culpa
by OpheliaDrowns
Summary: Rachel tells Finn about Quinn's pregnancy lie but finds herself feeling bad when she sees the girl falling apart.  Rachel offers Quinn a place to stay.  They may not be friends now but what will happen once they are living in the same house?  M in future
1. Chapter 1

Rachel watched as Quinn's lie destroyed her already shattered world. Quinn's parents had thrown her out, wanting nothing to do with their 16 year old pregnant unmarried daughter. Now Finn was throwing her out for lying to him about being the baby's father. Rachel tried to feel a sense of righteous satisfaction, after all Quinn should not have lied to Finn about the paternity of the child she was carrying. It was not fair to Finn to be taking responsibility for a child that was not his nor was it fair to allow him to become attached to the child thinking he was the baby's dad. It was not fair to Puck either for that matter. He wanted to take responsibility for the child but Quinn did not want to admit that not only had she had sex before marriage but she had sex with her boyfriend's best friend! Rachel knew that she certainly should not be feeling guilty for being the one to tell Finn the truth, but the nagging little feelings were prodding at her. Sure, she and Quinn were not friends in any definition of the word but was what she had done by telling Finn any better then when Quinn would draw obscene drawings of her in the girl's bathroom? Finn and Puck both deserved the truth coming out but she knew in her heart that the truth should not have come out from her but rather from Quinn herself. When she really let herself think about what her reasoning for telling Finn had been, she realized she did it out of spite, a way to get some kind of revenge on the former Head Cheerio who had tormented her for years. Her dads would not be proud of the choice she had made. It was a selfish, childish act and she knew she was responsible for some of the trauma that the teenage girl was suffering through. Well, she was not sure how she could make amends for what she had done but she knew she would not be able to face herself until she at least apologized for her action. Rachel pulled herself up, squared her shoulders and strode purposely forward toward the crying girl.

Quinn looked down at the smaller girl now standing directly in front of her. "Great," she thought to herself, "just who I want to deal with right now!" Granted, there really was not any time that she actually did want to deal with the overly chatty, opinionated younger girl, but did Rachel really have to be there to watch her falling apart? The smaller girl for once had yet to speak, which was odd enough but the scared look in her eyes was even more out of place. Rachel was not scared of being slushied on a daily basis nor was she scared to face Ms. Sylvester when the aggressive gym teacher shouted at her for not being able to keep up with the rest of the students in the gym class. Surely there was nothing about talking to Quinn that could be responsible for putting that look in her eyes and silencing her? "What is it Berry? Do you actually have something to say or did you just want to stare at the pregnant crying loser?" Quinn spat out, tired of waiting for Rachel to finally speak.

"No, no, no...I don't want to stare at you. Not that you are a loser either. Pregnant and crying you are but that still doesn't make you a loser. After all, you will only be pregnant for approximately nine months and after that you will be able to get back into your usual routine and even while you're pregnant, you really shouldn't stop some form of exercise program in order to remain at your best health! You should speak to your obstetrician about coming up with a pregnancy safe exer-"

"Berry! Shut up! My god! Did you have something you actually needed to talk about or were you just standing there waiting to give me pregnancy tips?" Quinn interjected sharply. First Rachel wasn't speaking at all and now she sounded like the chipmunks giving her a lecture on exercising!

Rachel felt her cheeks warm as she blushed. This was not going at all how she had planned. She took a deep breath and started again. "I wanted to apologize to you Quinn. I was selfish and childish. I told Finn that Puck was the father of your child. If you want to punch me, go ahead." Rachel then took a breath and squeezed her eyes shut, preparing herself for the anticipated assault. "Please just try to avoid my nose!"

Quinn stood staring at the girl in front of her. A flash of anger flew through her body and for a brief moment she honestly did consider physically attacking the cowering figure standing before her. Just as quickly as it came though, the anger passed through her and she was once again consumed in her sadness. Laughing dryly Quinn responded, "Open your eyes Berry. I'm not going to hit you. You may have had no right to tell Finn about my lies but he had to find out the truth at some point so maybe I should be thanking you for just getting it over with for me."

Rachel's dark eyes flew wide open, gapping at Quinn while she delicately touched her nose to be sure that it was still stable. "You're not going to hit me? You have been thrown out of your second home in less then a month's time and this time, it was my fault that your recent secret has been revealed! It is my fault that you are now once again an unmarried, pregnant teenager who has no job and no home. How can you not be hitting me in the face for my part in this current situation?"

Quinn listened as Rachel rambled on, listing everything that was now wrong in her life. How had she fallen so far? How had she gone from Head Cheerleader, Head Bitch in Charge, living in a large house with her wealthy Christian parents with whom she attended mass every weekend to this stereotypical blonde Barbie who preaches chastity one day then sleeps with her boyfriend's best friend while she is drunk the next day! How did her life become so much of a disaster that she was now just realizing that she will be spending her first night on the street since she has no idea if Lima, Ohio even has women's shelter! She could hear the petite tyrant rambling on her apologies but she had stopped paying attention to her actual words. She felt her body beginning to give up as he legs slid out from under her and she landed hard on the sidewalk edge just as the tears broke free and she could no longer hold back the intense sadness she was feeling for the life she used to have and for the life that was now living inside her..

"Quinn!" Rachel shrieked, dropping her things and immediately grasping Quinn's shoulders as if to prevent her from a full collapse. "Are you okay? Is it the baby? Should I get the nurse?" Rachel rambled without giving Quinn even time to answer one question before asking the next.

"Rachel!" Quinn yelled for the second time in a matter of minutes, "The baby is fine! I just felt, I don't know, overwhelmed all of a sudden. I guess reality set in. You're right. I don't have anywhere to go. I don't have anyone left to turn to. Santana has no place for me to stay. Brittany's mother is friends with my mother so she isn't even supposed to be hanging around with me outside of school. I went from being the girl who rules the school to being a Lima loser all because I felt fat and let myself drink my virginity away!" She felt herself starting to get hysterical but had no idea how to stop it and she did not want to come apart in front of RuPaul of all people! She tried to push herself up off the sidewalk but Rachel grabbed her and held onto her in what she assumed was an attempt at a hug. That was it, the hysterical laughter just spilled out and she knew she had lost all control.

Rachel held onto Quinn and began rubbing her back slowly to try to soothe the hysterical girl who she knew would not be doing the same if they were in reverse positions. Her fathers had always taught her to be the better person however and she knew that Quinn needed someone supportive right now. "It's okay Quinn, just let it all out. I'm right here." She slowly rocked Quinn back and forth in her arms the way her dads did when she got upset. She wasn't sure if it was what Quinn's parents did to help her but it was the only thing she could think of to do to calm the girl.

Quinn's hysterical giggles gradually gave way to sobbing tears then to quiet sniffles. She sat up after a few minutes and wiped at her eyes. "Rachel, I'm sorry. I don't know what happened to me; please don't run home and start telling everyone about how I am now crazy on top of everything else. I don't think I could take anything else right now."

"I have no intention of telling anyone you are crazy Quinn. For one thing, you are not crazy. You are merely an emotionally distraught hormonal pregnant teenager. Secondly, I am bringing you home with me since you have nowhere else to go and I will not stand idly by and watch you prepare to become homeless!"

"Take me home with you! Maybe you are the crazy one Rachel! Since when are we friends? We barely speak and when we do it is usually with me putting you down! Now suddenly you want me to go home and live with you? Either you have lost your mind or I am delusional now!"

"We may not be friends Quinn but you are not in position to look a gift horse in the mouth right now need I remind you. As you said yourself, you are out of options and I am providing you with one. You cannot spend the night on the street in your condition. You must think of the child you are carrying before your pride right now," Rachel stated in a matter of fact manner as she began picking up her own school books as well as the things Quinn had dropped. "You need a warm, safe place to stay and food to provide nutrition for you and your child. My dads have an extra room and I know they would not want you to stay on the street when we have a place you can stay."

Quinn just listened, dumbfounded that the girl she had made it her personal duty to harass on a daily basis for years was now the one person who was willing to help her out. She let Rachel help her to her feet and followed her to her car in a stupor, unable to even think clearly enough to argue or thank her or carry a conversation during the short car ride from the school to Rachel and her dads' house. She was only vaguely aware of Rachel's constant chatter until they pulled into the driveway in front of a two story home with a well manicured front yard. Rachel was finally silent and when Quinn turned to look at her she realized that Rachel was looking at her as if waiting for a response. Clearing her throat, "I'm sorry; I really have no idea what you asked me."

Rachel gave her a sympathetic smile, "It's understandable, you are in a state of shock I am certain. I just wanted to know if you wanted to go to pick up your things from Finn's later tonight or if you would rather wait until tomorrow when you have had more time to rest and he has had a chance to process things more?"

Quinn shuddered uncontrollably at the idea of having to face Finn or his mother now that they knew she had lied about who was the father of her child. She could only imagine what his mother must be thinking of her now. Taking a slow breath to stop the once again approaching flow of tears, Quinn replied, "I don't think I could handle seeing Finn again today. If I didn't need my clothes, I would just let him throw my things away rather then have to see his mother once she finds out what I did."

Rachel considered the possibilities before slowly replying, "Perhaps Finn would be willing to let me pick up your things for you tonight. If you and I were the same size, I would suggest that you just borrow some of my clothes until things have settled down with him but, as you have stated numerous times in the past, I am rather small for my age and we do not share the same taste in clothing styles."

Quinn could not help but to laugh as she pictured herself wearing an argyle sweater that was 3 sizes too small and an inappropriately tiny plaid skirt. "Sorry RuPaul but I don't think that would work out well. People already think I must be the school slut without me walking in looking like I stepped out of a "naughty schoolgirl" porn film!"

"Quinn, I really must ask that while you are staying at my house, you refrain from calling me anything other then my given name. I am not RuPaul or ManHands. My name is Rachel, please remember that, but yes, I agree that you wearing my clothing would not be a good solution to your clothing problem. That settles that then, I will attempt to make arrangements with Finn to pick up your things after dinner tonight. You will need clothes for tomorrow and since you cannot wear mine, we must find a suitable way to recover yours." Rachel stated primly.

For not the first time in the last hour, Quinn found herself feeling bad about her treatment of the younger girl. Here Rachel was, the only person willing to give her a place to stay and she had once again insulted her! "I'm sorry Rachel. I didn't even mean anything; it was just a force of habit. I will try to keep myself from calling you those names. I really do appreciate that you are letting me stay here with you and your dads. After all the things I have said and done to you…I just don't understand why you would let help me like this honestly." Quinn felt the tears threatening to spill once again as she realized just how desperate her situation was.

Rachel reached over and patted Quinn's arm gently. "I told you Quinn, irregardless of how you have treated me, you are still a human being and so is your innocent unborn child. I would not be much of a person if I allowed you to spend even one night on the streets in your condition. I know we are not friends, we barely know each other. I do hope that this will give us a chance to get to know one another and perhaps we will become friends," Rachel told her, her eyes expressing her hope that they would be able to be friends.

"Thanks Rachel. I guess I have to get this over with then. Do you really think your dads will be okay with me staying in their extra room after how I have treated you?" Quinn asked nervously.

Rachel nodded her head rapidly, "Who do you think taught me my morals Quinn? If I failed to offer you a safe place to stay when I knew the situation you are in, my fathers would be disappointed in me and I do not like to disappoint them!" she said with conviction as she shut off her car and began to open her door.

Quinn took a deep breath then stepped out of the car and followed Rachel into the house. She wasn't sure what she expected the house to be like inside. It looked just like every other house on the street from the outside but her parents had never allowed her to speak to any homosexuals so she did not know what kind of houses they had. As they walked inside, she tried to furtively look around but everything appeared normal to her. She thought that the décor was rather warm and inviting and she felt herself begin to breathe a bit calmer.

"Dads! I'm home!" Rachel yelled as she walked toward the staircase, leading Quinn.

"We're in the kitchen Rae, just finishing up getting dinner ready. Do you want me to let you know when it is almost done so you have some time to begin your homework," Quinn heard one of Rachel's fathers respond from farther inside the house.

"Actually, I am going to put my things away and change out of my school clothes but then I will be right back down," Rachel replied. "There is something I need to discuss with the both of you."

"Not another glee club soloist fight I hope!" Quinn heard another male voice reply with a quick laugh following it.

Quinn glanced at Rachel and saw the tiny brunette blush quickly. "No!" Rachel replied vehemently before stomping rapidly up the stairs with Quinn following behind her.

Rachel walked quickly to a door that had a large gold star hanging from it. She opened it and turned to Quinn, "This is my room but you can put your things in here for now until I have a chance to talk to my dads. Just put your things on my desk for now."

Quinn stepped inside the room as Rachel hit the light switch. The walls were covered in Broadway posters and there was a large entertainment cabinet full of musical DVDs. Quinn could not help but giggle since the room was a perfect match to the petite starlet. She went and placed her books and bag neatly on Rachel's desk while Rachel went over to her closet, opened it and grabbed a pair of shorts and a t-shirt.

"I always change when I get home from school. I usually exercise on my elliptical once in the morning and once in the evening as well as practicing my ballet positions and trying to do all that while wearing my skirt would just not be practical and after all it is important to dress appropriately for the civilities one is involved in-" Rachel rambled as she removed her shoes.

"Rachel, it's your house, "Quinn interrupted her. "You don't need to explain to me what you wear in your own house."

"I'm sorry. I guess I am just so used to defending my clothing style that I do so automatically." Rachel walked over to another door way. "This is the bathroom between my bedroom and the spare room that you will be using. While you are here, we will have to share the bathroom. I will be right back out," she explained as she stepped into the other room and closed the door.

Quinn wondered just how much time Rachel spent in the bathroom as she appeared to be more high maintenance then even she herself had been before she got pregnant! She sat down in the desk chair to wait for Rachel. Her mind was still racing. Her life was simply falling apart more and more everyday. She was only 17, how had things gone wrong so fast? She made one mistake, would she be punished for the rest of her life because of it? She felt the tears welling in her eyes and knew that she was rapidly loosing control of herself for the second time in the last 20 minutes.

"Quinn! What happened? I was only gone for about two minutes!" Quinn heard a panicked Rachel squeal. Rachel rushed over to where Quinn was seated then dropped to her knees beside the chair so that she was able to look up at Quinn's bowed head.

Quinn looked down into Rachel's concerned eyes and felt the hysterical laughter building in her throat. Here she was once again falling apart and the girl she had tormented relentlessly for years was the only person who cared about her and her unborn child's welfare! It was not just strange, it was insane! The world must be turning inside out or there was some sort of cosmic happening! Quinn began giggling and quickly could not control the laughter that spilled from her lips.

Rachel ran back into the bathroom and emerged with a cool damp cloth which she used to wipe Quinn's tear streaked cheeks before folding it and laying it on the back of Quinn's neck. She then ran back to the bathroom and this time returned carrying a cup of cold water which she held to Quinn's lips, "Here, drink this. It will help re-hydrate you," she ordered.

Quinn took the cup and began drinking it slowly and felt herself calming down. "I'm sorry Rachel. I guess things just seemed too crazy in my life right now to possibly be real." She took a breath then continued, "Nothing seems to make sense at all anymore. Puck wants me to keep the baby. Finn hates me. My parents don't want to see me and now I am going to be living with you, the one person who has every right to be sitting back and enjoying watching my entire life come apart!"

"I thought that I would enjoy seeing you struggle like you have made me struggle for so long Quinn," Rachel spoke slowly, as if she was just gathering her thoughts at that moment. "Instead, I found myself feeling like I was an awful person for not being there to step in and be your friend. I guess I just am not the kind of person who finds pleasure in someone else's pain."

"Someone like me you mean," Quinn stated quietly, her eyes on the floor. She was realizing that she really did not like the kind of person she had become.

Rachel blushed, "Well, I just meant that I don't enjoy it." She reached her hand up to Quinn's arm, "Things will get better Quinn. Finn is angry and hurt right now but he will calm down."

Quinn glanced at Rachel, "I would not blame him if he never spoke to me after what I did to him."

"You made the wrong decision. You were scared and confused and had nobody to turn to that you felt you could talk to about it. You are just a teenager; you're expected to make mistakes. Now let's go back downstairs so I can introduce you to my dads and explain the situation before dinner is ready and on the table." Rachel stood back up.

Quinn used the cool cloth to wipe over her face one more time, took a deep breath then stood up from the chair. She smoothed her dress over her stomach, hoping that it was loose enough to not make it obvious to Rachel's dads that she was pregnant before Rachel had a chance to talk to them. She felt herself getting anxious once more. Her own parents would be furious with her had she invited another student to live with them no matter how temporary it was or how dire the circumstances were! What if Rachel was wrong? What if her fathers did not want to have a pregnant teenager living with them? What if they hated her for how she had treated their daughter? Where would she go if they too threw her out? She had run out of choices and the idea of living on the street or in a woman's shelter terrified her. She followed Rachel out of the room and back down the stairs.

"Did you bring a friend home with you Rae?" a tall, thin man said in a surprised tone. Quinn blushed at the fact that he assumed she was his daughter's friend. Quinn imagined that Rachel did not often bring anyone home with her from school from the look of surprise that was on his face.

"This is Quinn daddy, Quinn this is daddy," Rachel introduced them informally then turned to Quinn to explain, "I call him daddy and my other father dad. It makes things easier." Turning back to her father, "Yes daddy, Quinn. I know you do not understand why she is with me but if you give me a few minutes, I will explain the story to the both of you. Now where is dad? It will be much easier for me to explain it to the both of you at the same time," Rachel stated, leaving no room for questions.

"Right here, Rae," Quinn heard a deeper voice reply from behind her. Turning, she saw Rachel's other father walking in from the living room. He too glanced at her with surprise. "Who is your friend Rae?"

Quinn felt her face getting hotter, knowing that as soon as he heard her name he would not be looking at her quite so happily. "Daniel, this is apparently Quinn and Rachel is getting ready to explain to us just why she is standing in our dining room after being the cause of so much upset and hurt in her life over the past few years," Rachel's daddy replied dryly.

"Dad, daddy, you have always taught me to be forgiving and to help others who are in need of comfort," Rachel began as if she had spent hours preparing this speech. "Quinn has caused me much pain in the past but she is in need of our help and support now. She has no place else to go and she did not ask me for my help. In fact she has tried several times to convince me that I am wrong to offer her any aide." Quinn could see Rachel beginning to settle into the role of savior as she began to speak with more emotion and more expression in her face. "Quinn made a mistake a few months ago and is now carrying a child. She has chosen to carry the child to term and to put the child up for adoption instead of punishing the unborn child or attempting to raise it on her own which would be detrimental to both the child's and her own quality of life. Quinn's extremely religious parents disowned their pregnant daughter upon learning of this. Quinn then spent the last month living in the basement room at her boyfriend Finn's house but when Finn learned that the child was in fact not his but his best friend's child, he threw Quinn out too." Quinn was amazed at just how much her life resembled a soap opera when she heard it narrated by Rachel. Rachel continued, beginning her heartfelt plea to her fathers, "Quinn had nowhere else to turn and would be now walking the cold, hard streets alone and at the mercy of the kind of deviants that spend the nights prowling the empty alley ways looking for someone alone they can take advantage of. Would I be the person you have raised me to be if I left her alone? What kind of person would I be if I watched as she walked away to find some empty door front in which to spend her night instead of offering her the warmth and safety of our spare room? Is that the kind of person you want me to be? Would you be proud of me had I had made that choice instead of the one that has brought Quinn into our home? Would you-"

Daniel could not hold back the laughter any longer. Applauding as he laughed, "Brava! Brava! The Emmy goes to Rachel Berry!" He stepped over to Rachel, hugging her to let her know he was only teasing her. "We get your point Rae. Quinn is welcome to stay in the spare room provided that her torment of you does NOT continue." He sternly looked at Quinn, letting her know that he was not simply going to forget about all the times his daughter came home in tears as a result of Quinn's behaviors.

Quinn stepped forward, "Mr. Berry, I appreciate your allowing me to stay in your home and, as I told Rachel, I would not have blamed you if you had thrown me right back out after all that I have done. You have my word that things will not be the way they have been."

"Thank you Quinn and since you will be joining our family, please call me Daniel and this is Jeremy. Calling us both Mr. Berry will become far too confusing!"

Rachel smiled at Quinn, "See? I told you that they would not throw you out! Now, let's get things on the table for dinner! I have to run over to Finn's to pick up Quinn's things after dinner and then I still need to get Quinn situated in the spare room and do my homework!"

Jeremy gave Rachel a mock salute, "Yes drill sergeant! Right away!"

"Dad! Please do not embarrass me!" Rachel exclaimed.

Daniel laughed, "Rae, if Quinn is spending any length of time living here, you will have to get used to us taking advantage of the opportunity to embarrass our daughter! We don't often get to spend time with your friends or schoolmates!"

Rachel blushed, realizing that Quinn must know that she did not have the kinds of friends who would come over for dinner or to spend the night. "Well, just remember that I know plenty of things that I am certain you would not want me to bring up in front of someone that you barely know!" Rachel threatened.

"Daniel, I do believe Rae is threatening us in our own home! This after we gave in to her whole hearted plea to take in the poor, starving, frozen Quinn!" Jeremy teased.

Quinn caught herself giggling. Rachel really had put on the melodramatics when describing just how drastic her situation was! Lima was not exactly known for being the criminal hotbed that Rachel had made it sound like!

Rachel threw her arms in the air, "Ugh! I give up! Now help me set the table Quinn while the two comedians finish getting dinner ready!"

Smiling, Quinn followed after Rachel into the kitchen. She was surprised just how quickly her anxiety over living at the Berry's house for the time being had disappeared. She felt like she had known Rachel's dads for years.


	2. Chapter 2

Quinn was mostly quiet during the dinner with Rachel and her dads. She wasn't feeling overly shy; she was just enjoying watching Rachel interact so easily with her parents. Rachel was still overly talkative and it became clear that she was used to being the center of attention but, here at her home where she felt comfortable and loved, she was not quite as intense as she was when she was in school. Quinn realized that she was not finding Rachel to be so annoying and that Rachel, while still talking faster then most people, did not speak quite so rapidly. Perhaps it was because she knew she did not have to hurry to get everything out before the people who were listening tuned her out or walked away, Quinn wondered. After the meal was over, Daniel and Jeremy began to clear the table but Quinn felt she needed to make sure that they knew she would not take advantage of their hospitality so she jumped up saying, "Please, let me clean up. It is the least I can do to pay you back for allowing me to live here. I don't want you to be waiting on me too."

Daniel smiled at her, "You don't have to pay us back Quinn. We would not turn you away when you need a place to stay. We can work out some chores you can do around the house like Rae has to do though. Tonight however, why don't you and Rae go get the room set up for you so that you can settle in and the two of you can get your homework done before bed?"

Jeremy added, "I am sure you have had quite an emotionally exhausting day from what Rae told us. Tomorrow feel free to grab the dishes and clean up but tonight you should try to make yourself at home and relax because I am sure once you do, you are going to find that you are more tired then you think right now!"

Rachel jumped up from her seat, "Come on Quinn. I have to show you where everything is upstairs and make sure you have everything you need before I go pick up your things from Finn's."

"If you are both sure," Quinn hesitated, looking back and forth between Daniel and Jeremy.

"Go ahead Quinn. Starting tomorrow you will be treated like another member of our family so enjoy being treated as a guest tonight," Daniel quipped.

Quinn laughed, "I guess I should take advantage of these few more hours then." She turned to follow Rachel upstairs. As they got back to Rachel's bedroom, Quinn once again turned serious. "Rachel, once again, I really do thank you and your fathers for letting me stay with you. I have not done anything to deserve the kindness that you are all showing me."

Rachel switched the light back on, turning to smile at Quinn as she did so. "You already thanked us several times. It will be nice not having to worry about what you will do to me everyday now. I know that you probably won't believe me but I honestly would like us to try to be friends. This would be a great opportunity for us to get to know one another. I don't expect you to suddenly start hanging out with me at school or sit with me during lunch or anything like that. I am realistic but I do hope that one day I will be able to consider you a friend."

Rachel Berry as her friend, Quinn mulled it over as she followed Rachel into the bathroom. It somehow was beginning to seem less like an impossible thing to imagine. Could she and Rachel really become friends? What would it be like to be friends with the self-proclaimed starlet? She realized that Rachel was looking at her expectantly and blushed. "I'm sorry, I got lost in my thoughts. What did you say?" she asked.

"Did you have a specific place in the bathroom where you would like to keep your things? I usually just leave them lined up along the lower shelf in the closet so anywhere else would be fine. I have a few new toothbrushes and toothpaste so you don't have to worry about getting that back from Finn," Rachel replied.

"Thanks Rachel. I can just put my things on the upper shelf so that they are not in your way. Well, I can put my things there if Finn hasn't set fire to them all that is," Quinn stated.

"He will hear it from me if he has destroyed your things! That is against the law and my fathers are friends with several lawyers! If he dared to take his anger at you-"

"Rachel! I would not sue Finn for destroying my things! I don't even have that much right now anyways. I certainly don't have enough to make it work a lawsuit!" Quinn interrupted.

Rachel looked at her with indignation. "If he has damaged one piece of your clothing, he will be hearing it from me.!" Rachel removed a handful of towels and face cloths from the cupboard under the bathroom sink and relocated them to the upper shelf of the closet. "There is a bottle of shampoo, a bottle of conditioner and a bottle of shower gel in the shower that you can use. I don't mind sharing and if you require something different we can pick it up tomorrow. I'm going to run over to Finn's now so why don't you take the time to shower. There is an extra bathrobe in the closet that you can wear until I return with your clothing." She walked over to the far door and opened it to the adjoining room. "This will be your room while you are living here. You can use the closet and dressers in here for your things. They are all empty since the room is only used when my grandparents visit during the holidays." Turning to face Quinn she asked, "Is there anything else you might need while I am out?"

"I'm sure that I can figure out how to take a shower and put on a bathrobe. I can work on my homework until you get back once I am done in the bathroom," Quinn assured her.

Rachel smiled, "I won't be long. I am certain that Finn will not be in the mood for conversation tonight. If you need anything, my dads will be downstairs in the living room watching television."

"Thanks for dealing with Finn for me Rachel. I know he would not be happy to see me right now."

Rachel headed back towards her room with Quinn behind her. Heading back to her closet, she reached in and grabbed her coat. "He is still in shock but I think he will realize that it is actually for the better that the child is not his. I am sure he will feel relieved of the pressure of having to make the decisions that would have affected the rest of his life." She picked up her keys from the desk and headed out of her room and down the hallway towards the staircase, "Everything happens for a reason Quinn. Sometimes we just have to wait for a while to find out what the reason is."

Quinn watched Rachel walk down the stairs before returning to the bathroom. She closed the two doors then stood in front of the mirror over the sink. Looking at her face as she stood there, Quinn felt like she was looking at a stranger. If someone had told her just a matter of months ago that today she would be moving in with Rachel Berry, she would have told them that they should admit themselves to the nearest psychiatric ward! Yet, here she was standing in the bathroom she now shared with Rachel. She glanced down at her stomach, laying her hand gently over her slight baby bump. She hoped she was making the right decisions for this unborn child she was carrying. Her life was a complete mess right now but at least her baby was in a safe and accepting environment for the first time since it had been conceived. Maybe Rachel was right, all things happen for a reason even if we don't always know what the reason is right away.

Rachel drove the short distance between her and Finn's house quickly. She was growing more determined to be certain that Finn realized that his treatment of Quinn was not acceptable in her mind. After all, even if the baby was not his, Quinn was still pregnant and still required the care and safety necessary to keep both her and the unborn baby healthy. By throwing Quinn out the way that he had, he was putting an innocent child's life at risk! Rachel slammed her car door and strode up to the door, rapping on it rapidly.

Opening the door, Finn asked in surprise, "Rachel? What are you doing here? I think you have said enough today!"

"I have not said enough for today Finn Hudson! Well, perhaps I said too much earlier but now I have something much more important to say to you! Whatever hurt feelings you may have over Quinn's betrayal and lies, they do not make up for the way you are handling the situation! Where did you think Quinn would be spending the night tonight after you threw her out? Did you consider that? Did you consider that by throwing Quinn out, you were throwing out her innocent unborn child? If Quinn were to live on the street, so would that fetus! If she were to go hungry, so would the baby! If something were to happen to that baby as a result of your selfish decision, you would be responsible for it! Now, where are Quinn's things? I came to pick them up for her as she did not feel comfortable coming herself at this time." Rachel walked past Finn into the house uninvited, looking around as if expecting to see Quinn's belongings laying in a pile of ash somewhere.

Finn stood at the door, his mouth open. Rachel had once again left him speechless. He had not considered what would happen to Quinn and he certainly had not considered what would happen to the baby. "Rachel, she cheated on me with my best friend! Did you really think that I could continue to allow her to live in my house after she lied to me about the baby being mine?"

Turning to glare at him with her hands on her hips, "You could have given her time to make other arrangements instead of insisting she leave immediately!"

What was going on with Rachel? Why was she defending Quinn after how Quinn had treated her all the past years? Finn threw his hands up, "I give up! Girls are impossible to understand!" Walking past Rachel towards the back of the house, he said "Her things are still in the basement room where she was staying. I don't know why you are helping her. She sure wouldn't be helping you!"

Following behind Finn, Rachel replied primly, "People should help anyone who is in need of help, not just those we know would return the favor should the situations become reversed."

Finn opened the door to the small, bare room. "Her suitcase is under the bed and her things are in the closet." Watching Rachel as she began neatly folding and placing Quinn's clothes into the suitcase, "Where is she going to be staying anyways," Finn asked out of curiosity?

"If you truly cared where she was going to be staying, you would have handled this differently. If you want to know where Quinn is staying, ask her yourself and maybe she will decide to let you know," Rachel replied without looking up from her task at hand. "Personally, I wouldn't tell you if I were her. You did not care enough about her safety when you threw her out so you don't deserve to feel relieved if she is in a safe location."

"Rachel! If you know where she is staying, just tell me! I don't want to ask Quinn! I don't want to even see her or talk to her right now!" Finn replied frustrated.

"Perhaps this will help you learn to not make such rash decisions in the future," Rachel replied. Glancing around the sparsely decorated room, "Did I leave anything out of the suitcase that belongs to Quinn," she asked?

Finn looked around quickly, "No. You have it all. I can't believe you won't tell me where she is staying Rachel! I thought we were friends."

Closing the suitcase with a snap and picking it up, Rachel replied, "I told you already Finn. If you want to know where Quinn is staying, you can ask her yourself. Now, I need to take these to Quinn then I have to do my homework and get ready for my night time routine." She headed back up the stairs and out of the house before Finn could make any further pleas.

Finn walked upstairs shaking his head. He really just did not understand girls at all. Rachel was the one who told him that Quinn was lying to him about the paternity of the child she was carrying and now she was mad at him for getting angry with Quinn and throwing her out? How did she expect him to react and why wouldn't she just tell him if Quinn did have a place to stay? Puck was right about one thing at least: girls were impossible to make sense of and the minute you thought you understood one, they would go and change everything around on you all over again!

Rachel returned back to her house and brought the suitcase upstairs with her. She knocked on the door to the room that would now be Quinn's, "Quinn? I have your things? Are you out of the shower yet?"

Quinn was sitting at the desk trying to work on her Spanish homework when she heard Rachel calling to her from outside the bedroom door. Standing up, she walked over and opened the door. "Thanks Rachel. I hope that Finn wasn't too obnoxious about you helping me out." She took the suitcase from Rachel and laid it on the bed.

Watching Quinn emptying the clothes from the suitcase, Rachel replied, "I gave Finn a piece of my mind actually. I realized that he had selfishly put both your health and the health of your child in danger by refusing to allow you to continue living at his house until you could make arrangements to find safe shelter. Men! They only think about themselves!"

Quinn stopped what she was doing. "You told Finn that?" she asked incredulously.

"I told him that and more! The nerve of him, throwing a pregnant teenager out onto the streets! I let him know that his behavior was not at all going to be tolerated by me," Rachel replied with her eyes flashing with indignation.

Quinn laughed, "Are you sure that Finn understood you? He is not the most intelligent guy I know."

"He understood. I am certain of it," Rachel replied with a sense of satisfaction. Looking at the time she said, "Are you all set for now? I have to go take my shower and then complete my homework. I think I will be skipping my exercise and dance practice tonight though."

Quinn nodded, "I am all set Rachel and thank you again for getting my things, dealing with Finn and letting me live here."

Rachel smiled at her, "You don't need to keep thanking us. You needed somewhere safe to live and we have somewhere to live that nobody is really using. If you need anything, just come through the bathroom to get me. If you don't, then I will see you in the morning before school. Sleep well Quinn."

"You sleep well too Rachel," Quinn replied.


	3. Chapter 3

Quinn woke up to her cell phone's alarm that she had set before settling to bed the night before. She jumped at the sound blaring then blinked in confusion. The unfamiliar roses on the wallpaper facing her gave her a moment of panic. Where was she and what was she doing there? She looked around the room and the happenings from the day before came rushing back into her mind. She was at Rachel's and Finn wanted nothing to do with her. She dropped back down in the bed. Why should she bother getting up? How was she going to face everyone at school who by now would have heard the latest gossip about the mess she had made of her life? Before yesterday she at least had the support of the other students in the Glee club. How would they treat her today now that they knew she lied about the paternity of her baby? A rapping on the bedroom door made her jump.

"Quinn? Are you awake?" Rachel called through the still closed door.

Sighing, Quinn replied, "I'm awake." She pulled the blankets around her saying, "You can come in."

Rachel opened the door and stepped inside already fully dressed and looking much too alert for 6:30 in the morning. "Did you sleep well Quinn? I wasn't sure if you would have an alarm or if you awake to your own internal alarm or if you needed to be woken up so I decided that to be safe I should make sure that you were awake so that you have time to get ready before we have to leave for school," she said in one breath.

Rubbing her eyes and stretching before replying Quinn said, "I slept fine and I set my cell phone alarm last night but thanks for coming to check on me even though I really do not want to go to school today."

Rachel looked at Quinn with concern. "Are you sick?"

"If I say I do, will you tell your dads I can stay home?" Quinn asked only half seriously.

"You want me to lie to my dads about your health?" Rachel asked, looking horrified.

"How did you keep coming to school day after day when you knew you were going to be humiliated and degraded? I know everyone will have heard about my lying to Finn and I can just imagine the kind of things they will be saying to me. I just want to go back to sleep and stay asleep until everyone has forgotten about me."

"I went to school everyday because if I didn't then it would have given everyone more power over me. I couldn't stop people from treating me the way they do but I could control how I responded to the treatment. If I choose to hold my head up and smile like it is not bothering me, then I have the power because I am not letting them stop me from doing what I want to do or stop me from being where I want to be. It will be the same way for you Quinn. People will say horrible things to you and do mean things to try to make you feel bad about what you did. You already feel bad about lying to Finn and you know that what you did was wrong. What would letting other people make you feel worse do to make things better? Would it change what you did? Would it make it better for Finn? You can't change what you did but you can control how you act about it all now. Hold your head up high admit that you made a mistake then keep walking. Nobody has the right to judge you when they don't know what it is like to be in your situation," Rachel said with conviction.

Once again Quinn felt ashamed for how many times she had been the one to torment Rachel. She had never really tried to get to know the younger girl, instead choosing to take out her own feelings of insecurity by humiliating her. How could Rachel stand to allow her to live in her house after all that she had been responsible for? Not able to meet Rachel's eyes, Quinn replied "I never should have treated you the way that I did. That was another mistake I made and I don't know how to make up for what I did to you. I can't understand how you can stand to be near me let alone let me stay here."

"Maybe now that you are on the other side of things, you won't be so fast to judge someone else. Being different from yourself does not mean being wrong or bad Quinn. Maybe now you will have a chance to change how you treat people. I have already told you that I forgive you and that is the last I want to hear about it. Today when you enter school, go in as if you are still Quinn Fabray Head Cheerleader. Pretend that you don't care what they are saying or thinking and eventually you will realize that you really don't care anymore," Rachel told her.

"Thanks Rachel. I guess I better get ready so I can get this day over with," Quinn said as she threw the blankets off of her and stood up. "What time do you usually leave for school?"

"I always leave the driveway at 7:20am. Dad has a plate of pancakes in the oven staying warm for you so just come down to the kitchen once you are ready. I'm going to leave you alone so you can get dressed. I'll see you downstairs," Rachel answered as she headed out to the hallway.

Alone once more, Quinn went to the closet to look at her clothing to decide what she should wear this morning. Should she choose something that would make her less noticeable or would choosing something that she typically did not wear make her stand out more? Maybe Rachel knew what she was talking about. After all, she had been coming to school everyday knowing she would be teased and slushied more often then not. Throwing her head back, she picked out her baby blue dress then headed into the bathroom to get ready.

Rachel finished getting her backpack ready for the day, double checking to be sure she had replaced all her books and had all her homework. She sat down at the kitchen table and grabbed an orange to eat while waiting for Quinn to come downstairs to eat her breakfast. She had just finished peeling the orange when she heard the shower stop overhead. Figuring that Quinn would be coming down soon, Rachel got up and lowered the temperature of the oven so that the pancakes wouldn't be dried out when she was ready to eat. As Rachel was finishing eating the orange, Quinn came down the stairs with her backpack. She entered the kitchen, looking at Rachel unsure of what she should do or where she should go next. "Just put your bag on the counter next to mine," Rachel told her as she got up from the table. She walked over to the oven, shut it off, grabbed a potholder then reached inside to remove the plate of pancakes. "My dad buttered them for you when they were just off the griddle. Do you use maple syrup or do you prefer a jam or marmalade?"

Quinn put her bag down then walked over to the table and sat down at the empty placemat. "Syrup is fine thank you. I usually just grab a yogurt and some cereal so this is a pretty big breakfast meal for me," she said with a laugh. "Does your dad make breakfasts like this every morning?"

"Dad makes breakfast about 3 mornings a week and daddy makes breakfast 2 mornings a week. On weekends we usually go out for brunch somewhere. When daddy makes breakfast, it usually consists of cereal with fruit cut into it," Rachel explained with a grin. "Dad enjoys cooking while daddy would rather just make something quick."

"My mom is still in bed when I leave in the morning and my dad is gone before I get downstairs so I just get my own breakfast. Even if my dad was still there, he wouldn't know how to make anything more difficult then coffee," Quinn said as she poured the syrup over the pancakes and began cutting them up on her plate.

Rachel sat back down, looking serious now she asked, "How do you want to handle our arriving at school together? If you want, I can park in the back of the lot and we can walk in separately so that your friends won't see us together."

Sighing Quinn replied, "Rachel, what friends are going to see us together? How many friends do you think I still have after the story got around that I lied to Finn? Did you hear anyone else offering me a place to stay? Did you hear my cell phone ringing last night with calls from all my friends checking to make sure I was okay? Seeing the two of us walk into school together can't possibly hurt my reputation anymore then it has already been damaged."

"I'm sorry that your friends are not here to help you with all of this Quinn but if they have turned against you over the mistakes you have made, then they are not good friends to begin with. Give people some time and maybe they will see that being your friend is more important then being popular and if you give the rest of the Glee club time to realize that it is only between you, Finn and Noah, they will come around too. I still am offering you my friendship if you want it," Rachel replied hopefully.

"As much as it amazes me to say this, right now Rachel Berry I think you are my only friend. If you are really willing to forgive me for all that I did to you and to put up with my pregnant mood swings, I guess that I better accept your offer because if I don't then I will really be all alone," Quinn said ruefully.

Rachel grinned as she lunged forward and grabbed Quinn in a tight hug. "You won't have to be alone Quinn!" she exclaimed excitedly. "I can help you get through all of this and even if you decide that you don't want to be friends with me when things get better, at least I will be glad to know that I could help you."

Quinn was struck by how easy it was for Rachel to assume that if her old friends wanted to be back in her life, that she would just abandon Rachel for them. "How many times has she been through this in her life," Quinn thought to herself while Rachel continued to ramble on happily about how they could work on their vocals together during the evenings. "Rachel if we do become friends, real friends, not just an acquaintance that you feel sorry for, it won't matter if my other friends and I work things out. I won't just drop you," Quinn interrupted.

"First of all Quinn, I don't just feel sorry for you. I think that you are a very bright student with a voice that is nearly as good as mine, although it does get sharp at times but we can work on that and then your voice will be one of the top ones in the Glee club. I also think that you have made some mistakes but you are taking responsibility for the mistakes you have made and trying to do the right thing now. That is never an easy thing to do. I think you are one of the strongest people I have ever met and I admire your strength and your courage. I want to be your friend because of the person that I see inside you now that you are not hiding behind your Head Cheerio persona. I think the real Quinn is a much better person then the Quinn that everyone thought was the real one. I want to be friends with the real Quinn who cares about the unborn child she is carrying and who wants a chance to start things anew," Rachel said filled with a passion.

Quinn felt the tears welling inside her eyes again. "Thanks Rachel. I don't think I am as strong or as good of a person that you think I am but thank you for seeing that I am someone more then just the Head Cheerio. I am not sure who I am anymore now that things have changed so much and I guess it is going to take time for me to find out who I am and who I want to be now that my future isn't all lined up for me anymore."

"Don't cry, remember that you are not alone in this and if you need someone to talk to, I will be just one room away from you," Rachel said as she stood up and threw out the orange peels and placed her empty milk glass in the dishwasher. "Are you almost ready? It is nearly 7:15AM now so we need to be getting ready to leave."

Quinn finished her last few bites of pancakes and drank the remainder of her milk. She stood up, pushed her chair in and took her dishes to the dishwasher. She washed her hands off in the sink then picked up her backpack. "I guess I am as ready as I am going to be to face the day," she said with a sigh. "Are you sure I can't convince you that staying home would be a better way to spend the day?" she asked.

Rachel picked up her own backpack and grabbed her keys off the table. "The longer that you put it off, the harder it will become. Think of it as being like jumping into a pool of chilly water. If you just jump in, it feels like you will die from the cool water but then in a minute you are over the shock and feel fine. If you lower your body into the pool slowly then the pain is not so intense but it hurts for quite a while longer because you have to keep shocking your body a little more every step. Right now Quinn you have to just jump in and get it over with. After today, people will start to forget about your embarrassment because it will all be old news and the insults will already have been said so the sting will start to fade."

"I guess you're right. Let's get it over with then," Quinn said shakily as she followed Rachel out to the car.


	4. Chapter 4

For Quinn, the ride to school was over way too fast. Rachel talked throughout the entire ride about what they would be working on in Glee club later in the afternoon but Quinn was unable to focus on anything but the building sense of dread that was rapidly growing within her. She wanted to run back and hide under the covers but she knew Rachel was right; she had to get it over with. She could not hide from everyone forever. As Rachel pulled into an open parking space in the school lot, Quinn took a deep breath. Rachel looked at her sympathetically as she shut off the car.

"Remember to close your eyes if you get slushied. I have towels and things in my locker to help you clean up if you need them. I should have reminded you to put some extra clothes in your bag before we left this morning," Rachel fretted.

Stepping out of the car, Quinn replied, "I still have some clothes in my locker that I put there back when I was on the Cheerios."

"Then you will be all set. The shock will wear off quickly and the embarrassment fades faster when you don't let them see you react. Just walk to the nearest bathroom and start washing it off your face and out of your hair," she advised as the voice of experience.

"Thanks Rachel. I think the humiliation will be slow to fade but at least I am expecting it so it won't be such a surprise."

They walked towards the entranceway of the school. Quinn could feel her heart racing in her chest as they got closer and her hands began to shake. She was waiting for her former friends to confront her at any moment and she was not certain how she would reply to their accusations. She knew lying to Finn about being her baby's father was wrong and she knew that cheating on him had been wrong as well. She could not change any of that now but she would if she could. Not that any of them would care if she wanted to change the mistakes she had made. All they cared about was the fact that they had some amazing dirt on the once Head Cheerio to bring her down even further on the social ladder. She wasn't sure that she had much farther to fall. After her latest scandal, Rachel was probably higher on the ladder then she was! She saw Azimio and Karofsky enter the building and felt her body get more tensed. They were both on the football team with Finn and would hate her for lying to him. They had slushied her once before when she had been kicked out of the Cheerios for being pregnant so she figured they would have no problem doing it to her once again.

Rachel patted her arm sympathetically, "Remember, once they've thrown the slushie, the worst is over. Don't let them see you afraid or looking defeated, just hold your head up and keep walking as if nothing can touch you."

"Sure, nothing can touch me besides several ounces of sticky, cold slush," Quinn stated dryly.

"Once it's done, it's done and then you just need to clean up and go on. If you let them see that it hurt you, they will keep doing it everyday because they will be getting the satisfaction of making you feel bad about yourself. Don't let them have that power!"

"Well, here goes nothing then," Quinn said with a sigh as she opened the main entrance way to the school. She threw her hair over her shoulder and tipped her head up. She was Quinn Fabray and nobody could change-SPLAT! The sticky liquid stung her eyes and ran down her neck.

"What's up Quinn? Hey Puckerman! You should have her get a DNA test on the kid! Seems she can't decide who the baby daddy is! What a poster girl for abstinence!" Azimio shouted with a cruel smile.

Rachel grabbed Quinn by the arm to make her start walking again. "Come on Quinn, let's get you cleaned up," she said quietly while leading the humiliated girl to the nearest bathroom.

Quinn allowed Rachel to direct her through the hallways. It took everything she had in her just to move her feet and keep herself from crying. She wasn't sure she could have found the bathroom if she had to. "Did you see Puck's face after Azimio said that? Does he hate me too now?" Quinn finally managed to say.

"I was paying attention to you and getting you away from them. I didn't notice Noah at all," Rachel replied quietly as they entered the bathroom. She led Quinn over to the sink and grabbed some paper towels. "Here Quinn, Why don't you clean your face off while I run to my locker to grab some shampoo so we can get the slushie mix out of your hair. I won't be long." She handed the paper towels to Quinn then rushed back out to the hallway.

Quinn dampened the towels in the sink and began wiping the sticky substance off of her face. It felt disgusting and she hated knowing that she used to be the one throwing the slushies at people. "I really was a total bitch," she told her reflection as she scrubbed at the red liquid that was continuing to trickle down her neck.

"Yes you were but you are changing things now," Rachel replied from behind her.

Startled, Quinn dropped the clump of soggy paper towels in the sick and spun around to face Rachel. "Oh my god you scared me! I didn't hear you come in."

"You were too intent on hating yourself to notice me entering the room." Rachel took a bottle of shampoo and a small towel out of her backpack. "Hating yourself won't change what you have done in the past. You can decide how you treat other people now and in the future. That is the way to change things Quinn," she explained while rolling up her sleeves. "Now lower your head into the sink and I will wash the mess out of your hair. They must have really wanted to upset you. The cherry one stings the most!"

"Great. At least I got the worst flavor over with first. After this one, the rest should feel like a walk in the park," she said sarcastically. She pulled her hair together then bent at the waist to get her hair under the faucet water.

Rachel laughed. "That's the way to take it Quinn! If you make a joke out of it then other people can't make you feel any worse." Rachel worked the shampoo through Quinn's hair. She expertly scrubbed the entire scalp to remove the sugary substance from her head then began rinsing out the soap. After a few minutes, she squeezed the water out of it, shut off the faucet then grabbed the towel. She wrapped the towel tightly around Quinn's blond tresses. "Okay, you can stand back up. Your hair's all cleaned up now. If you pull it back in a ponytail, you should be able to get to your locker to get a change of clothes without people noticing too much."

Quinn rubbed at her wet hair then began brushing it out with the brush she always had in her pocketbook. Rachel was right, now that her face and hair was cleaned up; the mess from the slushies was not as noticeable. She pulled her hair back into a high ponytail then straightened up and looked at herself critically in the mirror. "Well if I hold my bag in front of me, maybe people won't be able to see the red stains on my collar and shoulders."

"Do you want me to walk you to your locker or will you be okay to get there from here alone," Rachel asked worriedly.

"You can't be at my side all day long Rachel. I have to face it alone at some point so might as well be now. Go ahead to home room. No reason for the both of us to be marked late," she replied, sounding more confident then she felt.

"Okay if you are sure. If you want to, I can meet you before lunch so you don't have to enter the cafeteria alone," Rachel suggested.

Quinn could not imagine the idea of ever having lunch with Rachel Berry. How her life had turned upside down! "Thanks Rachel. I was planning on just skipping lunch today. Having to face everyone in classes all day long is bad enough. At least there are teachers in the class to keep things from getting too out of control. In the cafeteria, there is nothing to stop anyone from dumping all kinds of food on me! I think having to change once in a day is enough!"

"Quinn! You can't skip your lunch! You have to eat so that the baby gets nourishment!" Rachel told her in a panic. "If you don't want to eat in the cafeteria, we can eat in my car but you need to eat!"

"Calm down Rachel. You sound like you are the one who is pregnant! If it is going to freak you out that badly, I'll meet you at your car for lunch okay?"

Breathing slower now that she knew Quinn would be eating, Rachel replied, "I am just making certain that you are taking care of yourself and your baby Quinn. I'll head to class now. See you in a couple hours!" Rachel left in a flash, determined to make it to homeroom before the late bell rang.

Quinn put her brush back in her pocketbook, took a final look at her hair then grabbed her backpack to her chest before heading out to the hallway. She kept her head up with her eyes staring straight in front of her. She did not want to see the looks on people's faces. She could just imagine the looks of satisfaction people would have now that she was completely humiliated. It was better to not see anything then to see how much she was hated. She got to her locker, spun the combination quickly and jerked the door open. She grabbed the bag with her change of clothes then rushed off to the bathroom to change. She heard the late bell ring as she ran into the bathroom. "Damn it! Now I have to go to the office to get a late slip! How much worse will this day get?" Quinn thought in frustration. She tore her ruined clothing off and rapidly put on the pair of jeans and blouse. She flung her slushie stained clothes into the trash can then raced from the bathroom down the hallway to the front office. The secretary in the office knew her from her Cheerio days so she gave her a late slip with no questions at least. Quinn ran from the office to her first period class, sliding into her seat just before the bell rang. "Yes, I made it! Something went right this morning finally!" she thought to herself. She tried to take some deep breaths as she got her notebook and book out of her backpack. She stared intently at the board and waited for the class to begin. Just a month ago she would have been busy talking about one of her classmates with the other Cheerios but those days were gone. She was certain that if she looked to the back corner where the Cheerios always sat together, she would see them all staring at her and talking about her. As crazy as it sounded, lunch with Rachel was beginning to look like the only silver lining of her school day.


	5. Chapter 5

Quinn felt like she was in a fog through her morning classes. If anyone had asked her about what the class work had been or what the homework was for either of the classes, she would not have been able to tell them a single thing. She sat through the classes, her back so straight that only halfway through her first class it was already beginning to ache. She kept her eyes on the teacher and the board, afraid to meet the eyes of any of her classmates. She didn't want to give them the satisfaction of seeing how miserable she was inside so she forced her lips into a half smile. When she knew the bell would be ringing to end the class, Quinn would have her backpack already packed up and would be ready to jump out of her seat and begin the rapid walk to her next class. Quinn was seldom late for class but she had never before been so early to all her classes before today. She couldn't believe she was actually counting down the time until she could meet Rachel for lunch! Unbelievably, Rachel was the one person she knew was not going to judge her for what she had done or humiliate her. Rachel and her dads were the only people who were willing to give her a chance even though they were the people who had the least amount of reason to believe she had changed and was not the spiteful, cruel cheerleader that she used to be. She actually found herself wishing that she and Rachel shared classes other then Mr. Shuester's Spanish because then she would know she had someone in the classroom with her who had some compassion for the predicament she had gotten herself into. It hurt her to realize that she really had no one that she could consider to be a true friend. All the girls on the Cheerios were constantly battling for position and power. Someone that one considered a friend one day could very well be stabbing you in the back the next. The boys, on the other hand, didn't see her as an actual person but just a status symbol as a girlfriend. As head cheerleader, Quinn had always had a trail of boys following her everywhere just waiting for a chance to do something to earn a smile from their flaxen haired goddess. Since her pregnancy became known to all, the only boys who would speak to her were Finn, Puck and the others in Glee club. Now that the truth about the father of her baby had been made public knowledge, she doubted any boy beside Puck would even look at her. She had heard every possible comment thrown her way by the boys in her races through the hallways between classes. They had no problem calling her a slut and a whore and making some rude comment about how she had cheated on Finn. She felt her cheeks redden with shame just thinking about it now. Why were the clock hands moving so damn slow now? She could not wait to race back out of the school and hide in the comforting confines of Rachel's car! Finally the bell rang and she was free! She grabbed her bag and hurried out to Rachel's car.

Rachel made her way from the school to her car, hoping that Quinn would be true to her word and show up for lunch with her. She could not let Quinn take chances with her health! She was about two parking rows away when she saw that Quinn was waiting outside of her car already. Rachel could not hold back the sigh of relief that escaped her lips. She hurried her steps. "Quinn! You're here already! I was worried that you had told me that you would meet me here for lunch just to shut me up so I am really happy to see that that was not the case!" she called as she got closer. She hit the unlock button on her keypad. "I unlocked it, you can get inside."

Quinn opened the back door and threw her backpack in before getting in the front passenger seat. For the first time since leaving Rachel's house this morning she felt her body relax. She was overwhelmed by how exhausted she was after being at school for not even three hours yet. She let her eyes close for just a moment.

"Quinn, has it been that horrible? Are you doing okay?" Rachel asked sympathetically.

Quinn opened her eyes and turned to look at Rachel. "Nobody has thrown anymore slushies at me but I think I've been called every disgusting name meaning slut already. I have no idea what went on in any of my classes because I was so busy focusing on appearing to be unfazed by everything that I couldn't focus on what the teachers were saying."

Rachel reached over to rest a hand comfortingly on Quinn's arm. "I'm sorry that everyone feels they have the right to judge you and insult you. I know how miserable it makes you feel and how long it makes the day feel."

"I could not wait for lunch time to come! Any reason to get out of that school and away from all their staring eyes and obnoxious mouths for even a few minutes feels like heaven!" Quinn stated emphatically.

"Well, once lunch is over, there's only a few more hours before Glee club," Rachel said, hoping to cheer the distraught girl up some.

Quinn snorted, "Great, then Finn and Puck can have another brawl because of me and everyone can remind me how I am destroying the club and destroying our chances to win at Regionals!"

"Okay so maybe things will be a little more tense during Glee then usual but Finn and Puck will fight it out and forgive each other soon enough. Guys don't hold grudges like we do often. It will take longer for Finn to forgive you because he had gotten attached to the idea of having a baby to be dad to. Once he realizes just how much of a responsibility he no longer has because he is not the baby's father, he will be happy that he knows the truth.

"What am I supposed to do until then Rachel? How am I supposed to sit in the same room with him looking at me like just seeing me hurts him and glaring at Puck like Puck deserves to be murdered? Everyone in Glee hates me except for you and maybe Britany who probably will hate me once someone explains to her what paternity means!" Quinn said in an explosive burst of words.

"You just have to go in there and pretend that you don't see how everyone is looking at you and that it doesn't matter to you if they hate you or not. You can't let anyone see that you are in pain or they will just hurt you more. You go in there with me, sit next to me and listen to Mr. Shu, shut everyone else out. Things will get better Quinn. You won't end up like me because in the end you are still the smart, rich, pretty girl who made some bad decisions. People will forgive you and once the baby is born and you are back to your usual self, people will forget. You can go back to being Head Cheerleader and you will be okay."

"Rachel, you're not stupid, certainly not poor and you are not really ugly either. If everyone forgets about what I've done and months from now I can go back to being Head Cheerio Quinn, then that means I go back to being the bitch who thought it was fun to humiliate other people and I don't think that I like that Quinn anymore. I don't think I like seeing the person that I became when I see myself through other people's eyes and know what it feels like to be the person getting slushied."

"You don't have to go back to being mean and being a bitch Quinn just because you go back to being a Cheerio. Don't you have the choice of how you treat other people? Don't you have the decision over the kind of person you want to be?" Rachel asked.

Quinn sighed, "You don't understand the pressure there is being a Cheerio. You don't understand what it's like to have to keep proving you deserve to be the Head Cheerio. You have to step on all the other Cheerios to get that title and once you up there, if you don't keep fighting, people will step right up and over you. "

Rachel took a sip from her bottle of water before responding. "Then Quinn, you are going to have to decide what is most important to you. Do you want to be the kind of person you are becoming now or do you want to go back to being the kind of person that you don't like seeing you were? Not that you have to make that decision now since you still have several months before the baby is born and then you will have to let your body recover from the birth and even then you don't have to decide unless you feel ready to make that decision but at some point you are going to have to make that decision because you can't be both this Quinn and mean Quinn at the same time."

Quinn felt tears welling up once again behind her eyelids. "Damn it! I am so sick of crying!" she exclaimed.

Rachel giggled, "You are pregnant Quinn. Your hormones are pretty much in control of your body right now but it's not wrong of you to cry even if you were not pregnant. It's not like I am going to run around telling people I saw you cry again."

Quinn swiped at her eyes. "I know. I'm just not used to being the kind of person who cries over every little thing. It makes me feel frustrated and annoyed with my own body because I can't seem to control anything anymore." She took the bottle of water that Rachel had offered to her and took a long drink from it. The cool water felt good and helped her to relax somewhat.

"Sometimes Quinn, the only thing you can do is admit that you don't have control and ask for help until you are back in control," Rachel said quietly. "Now, you need to eat and I made sure that I packed enough food for the both of us in case you tried to get out of eating by claiming you had forgotten lunch and had no money for the cafeteria." She pulled out two apples, two sandwich bags of carrots and celery sticks, two turkey sandwiches and one Quinn could not identify. "I wasn't certain of what you like on your sandwiches so I figured that turkey was a relatively safe meat product. I made one with mayonnaise and one with mustard so you can eat whichever one appeals to you the most. I myself have a cucumber and sprouts sandwich." She grinned at Quinn, holding out the two turkey sandwiches.

"You really were determined that I was going to eat lunch today weren't you?" Quinn laughed and reached for the turkey sandwich with mayonnaise on it. She should have guessed that Rachel would have been prepared. Rachel was prepared for every possible world ending disaster so making sure that a pregnant girl ate lunch was simple for her!

"It would not be in the best interest of your child for you to skip meals at this critical time of it's development. I realize that your emotions are making it somewhat difficult for you to think about taking care of yourself and the fetus right now so I will be making sure that you are." Rachel replied primly.

"I guess I should say thank you then. I don't deserve the help you continue to offer me and I certainly have done nothing to deserve the way that you care about me and my baby but thank you Rachel for caring." Quinn said shyly.

Rachel smiled at her. "Everyone deserves to be cared about Quinn. My dads taught me that a long time ago. I'm glad to learn that there is a nicer Quinn Fabray hidden inside Head Cheerio Quinn."

Quinn smiled back at her then let herself enjoy the sandwich and snacks that Rachel had thoughtfully packed for the two of them. It felt good to be out of the stress filled school building. Even though they were only in the parking lot, at least she didn't have to deal with the constant disapproving looks here. She wished she could just stay in the car for the rest of the day but she knew when lunch ended she had to march back inside and continue to pretend that she was not hurting. She was glad that the day would be half over by then at least. Just a few more hours and she could return back to the safety and acceptance she felt at Rachel's house. It felt weird to even think that she would be looking forward to going back to Rachel Berry's home but she knew that there she would not be harassed, ridiculed or assaulted with slushies. When she was at Rachel's, and she guessed, for now, her home, she could just be herself.


	6. Chapter 6

Quinn felt the remainder of the class day tick by like the slow ominous count down for a timed explosion. Every moment that past brought her closer to having to face everyone in Glee now that they knew that she had lied and that she had cheated on Finn with Puck. Finn hated her. Puck wanted to create a little family. Santana was gloating about her swan dive off the top of the social ladder. Mercedes and Kurt couldn't stop talking about her behind their hands. Rachel was the only shining beacon of light in the group for her and if she wasn't so totally miserable, she would find that in and of itself hilarious. She wondered if she would be able to convince Rachel they should skip Glee but that would require a force greater then that of a scared pregnant ex-cheerleader. She watched the clock run down the final minutes of last period with a sense of trepidation. When the bell rang, she slowly put her things together while the rest of the class scurried out to freedom. Finally, she stepped into the hall and almost walked right into Rachel.

"Rachel! How did you get from your classroom to mine before I even left the doorway?" Quinn asked in surprise.

"Well it was simple actually. I just explained to my teacher that I had been feeling rather ill during class and asked if I would be able to leave class a few minutes before the bell rang so that I would be able to make it to the bathroom before they were full and crowded and that if that happened I was uncertain if I would be able to keep myself from vomiting on the bathroom floor. Then instead of going to the bathroom, I walked over to your class's hallway and waited for you but you were slow to leave your room so I was just about to enter it to see if I had somehow missed you when you stepped out." Rachel finished with a victorious grin, pleased at her ability to control her teacher's decisions so easily.

"Thanks Rachel, next time do you think you could come up with a reason that does not include a description of you throwing up since I still have episodes of morning sickness?" Quinn asked, looking a bit as if she might need to rush to the bathroom herself now.

"Oh! I didn't think of that Quinn! Are you alright? Should I get you to the bathroom?" Rachel asked with concern. She placed a comforting hand on Quinn's back while waiting to see what Quinn needed her to do.

Quinn took a few slow breaths and was glad to feel her stomach returning to its normal state. "It's okay Rachel. I'll be alright in a minute."

Rachel looked relieved. "Great so we won't miss any time from Glee!"

Quinn groaned, "On the other hand, maybe I do feel sick."

"Come on Quinn, you need to face everyone eventually. No time like the present to get it over with!" Rachel hooked her arm through Quinn's and began guiding them in the direction of the choral room.

Quinn grudgingly followed Rachel's lead. She was dreading her entrance to the room, dreading the accusatory stares and Santana's look of superiority. Unfortunately the walk from her class to the choral room only took a couple of minutes and Quinn soon was standing in the doorway, afraid to open the door and take the step into the pit of vipers waiting to strike at her on the other side. Rachel looked at her with sympathy then reached around her and opened the door, nudging her gently inside while she followed close behind.

Finn saw Quinn walk in and immediately jumped out of his seat. "If she's still a part of this group, then I'm quitting!" he called out angrily.

"Leave her alone Finn," Puck said stepping towards Quinn protectively.

"Her knight in shining armor Puck? She didn't want the baby to be yours that's why she said I was the father! Don't you have any pride or did that all disappear the same day loyalty did when you slept with my girlfriend!"

Puck jumped at Finn and the two boys were soon a mess rolling around on the floor, fists swinging and feet kicking. Mr. Shuester walked in and was dumbfounded at the scene in front of him.

"Finn! Puck! Stop this!" Mr. Shu shouted as he stepped toward the fighting boys.

"Stop this immediately the two of you! You should both be ashamed of your behavior! Do either of you care at all about how this is effecting Quinn and therefore effecting her child? Of course not! It is obviously much more important to show how macho you are! If you cannot behave appropriately, then you should both just leave!" Rachel directed in her most displeased voice.

Finn and Puck glared at each other before Finn left the room and Puck returned to his seat.

"Can someone tell me what the heck I just walked in on and why Finn just walked out of the room?" Mr. Shu asked loudly.

Everyone looked at each other, the floor, the doorway and everywhere other then at Mr. Shuester. Finally Rachel cleared her throat and began, "I believe Finn just quit the Glee club."

"Quit? Why would he suddenly quit and why were he and Puck locked together like they belonged on the wrestling club instead of in Glee? What is going on in here?"

Rachel began trying to explain but was instantly interrupted by Quinn. "It's my fault Mr. Shu. I lied about who was the father of my baby and Finn found out the baby is Puck's. Finn doesn't want to be in Glee if I am still a part of it. Puck was defending my, I guess my honor." Quinn stated quietly.

It took Mr. Shuester some time to digest what Quinn meant. "Puck's the father?"

Quinn simply nodded her head, unable to meet his gaze.

"So Finn quit Glee and Puck needs to go see the nurse about his split lip. I don't think we are going to get anything done here today so everybody can head home unless you want to stay and take the time to work on your own solos. I can't imagine anything productive happening until you all have your heads back in your singing. Go home and next time I do NOT want to see any kind of violence taking place in my classroom! Violence settles nothing people! Remember that!" Mr. Shuester left the room, heading toward Miss Pillsbury's guidance counselor office. He thought she might be able to give him some advice on how to best handle the situation in his Glee club.

Quinn remained where she was, eyes locked on the floor. She could feel the heat of everyone's eyes on her. Glee club had been canceled in she knew that they all blamed her for it. Finn wouldn't have quit if she had never cheated on him and Puck wouldn't have ended up in a fight about her if she hadn't lied about who was her baby's father. She was single handedly destroying Glee. Ms. Sylvester would have been thrilled, had it not involved her head Cheerio being a pregnant teenager.

"Come on Quinn. We can work on the numbers back at my house after homework and dinner. It will be okay." Rachel said quietly to her.

Unfortunately it was not quiet enough for Mercedes nosy ears. "Excuse me did you just say you and Quinn can work on the music back at YOUR house once you finish homework and have dinner?" Mercedes stated incredulously. "My ears MUST not be hearing right because there is NO way that Quinn would be spending time at YOUR house Rachel Berry!"

Rachel stopped what she was doing and prepared to set Mercedes straight when she remembered that Quinn probably didn't want everyone to know she was staying at Rachel Berry's house. She tried to come up with a quick white lie but before any came to mind she noticed Quinn stepping towards Mercedes.

"Your ears are working just fine Mercedes. Not only am I spending time at Rachel's house but she and her father's were kind enough to offer to let me stay there last night after Finn kicked me out of his mother's house! Did you offer to let me stay with you Mercedes? Santana? Anyone? No! That's right, Rachel was the ONLY person who cared about where I was going to spend the night and if she had not cared, I would have had to spend it either at a shelter or on the streets since none of my FRIENDS cared enough to make sure I had a safe place to stay. Rachel had NO reason to offer to let me leave at her house after how I've treated her but she was the only person who gave a damn about me and my baby's safety so if I hear any of you say one thing bad about her, I'll slushie you myself!" She grabbed her things then grabbed Rachel's arm. "Come on Rachel, let's go home!" she said then half pulled the dumbfounded Rachel out of the choral room and down the hallway.


	7. Chapter 7

Rachel followed Quinn silently out of the school. She couldn't believe that Quinn had just told off everyone in the Glee club for her! She wasn't sure if she should say thank you or if she should pretend it was not a complete miracle that Quinn had done something nice for her in order to not break the spell and turn Quinn back into the girl who hated her. Being Rachel of course, she could not keep her silence for too long. As they got closer to her car, Rachel finally had to speak.

"Quinn? Thank you for standing up for me in there. I know you promised to stop your tormenting but you didn't promise to pretend to be my friend or pretend to like me."

Quinn continued her angry march towards the car. She snorted, "You don't need to thank me Rachel. What I said was the truth. You are the only one who seems to care at all about me and my child. You have no reason to care and yet you are the one who does. My parents are too concerned about their status and how things will look to their friends to care if I am safe or not. My so called friends seem to think I am somehow contagious and if they spend too much time with me, they will lose their status. I am not pretending to like you or be your friend Rachel, I think that as unbelievable as it seems, I am trying to become your friend." Quinn came to a sudden stop a few feet away from Rachel's car. Rachel tripped and stumbled into her. Quinn turned and looked right at her, blushing, "Well I guess I am trying to become your friend if you really want to give me that chance."

Rachel surprised her by grabbing her in a tight hug and squealing. She let go saying, "Yes I want! I mean, yes, I want to give us a chance to become friends. Honestly, I have wanted us to become friends for a long time but you did not seem to want that so I did not try to forcibly pursue a relationship as that would have been rather pointless but now that you are interested…"

"Rachel! Breathe!" Quinn laughed interrupting her. "I get it; you really do want to be friends. I didn't ask for a speech."

Rachel blushed. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to give a speech. I just got excited."

Quinn giggled, "Really? You are excited? I couldn't tell."

Rachel grinned. "It isn't everyday that I get asked to be the former Head Cheerio's friend you know," she teased as they got in the car and headed home.

When they returned to the house, Quinn headed upstairs to begin her homework expecting that Rachel would do the same. She was working on her Spanish exercises when she heard a light tapping on her bedroom door.

"Can I come in for a minute Quinn," Rachel called through the closed door.

"Sure," Quinn replied, putting her pen down and turning in her chair.

Rachel came in carrying a plate and a bottle of water. "I wanted to make sure you weren't hungry so I cut up an apple and put some peanut butter on the slices. You need to get your protein." She brought the snack over to Quinn and placed it on the desk with a smile.

"You made me lunch and now an afternoon snack? Wow Rachel, I could totally get used to being spoiled like this!" Quinn joked though she was actually touched by Rachel's continued concern for her health. She picked up one of the apple slices and began chewing on it realizing that she actually was a little hungry.

Rachel looked pleased that Quinn so readily accepted the snack she had made. She hadn't been certain what kind of foods Quinn liked so she had decided on something simple and healthy. "Doing homework for Mr. Shue?" she asked, noticing the Spanish book open on the desk.

Quinn nodded. "I am turning into quite the scholar lately. I've had nothing else to do without the Cheerios and losing all my friends." Realizing what she had said, she amended her comment, "Now though I am gaining a new friend so maybe we could watch a movie or something together later?" She didn't want Rachel to feel like she had forgotten their earlier conversation about how Rachel felt that she would no longer want to be friends once she had the baby and her life went back to normal. She really did not want to hurt Rachel and wanted to make up for some of the pain she had brought on the younger girl over the years.

Rachel bounced on her toes excitedly. "That would be great Quinn! Maybe after dinner? I'll let you pick it out!"

Quinn smiled, glad that she had made Rachel happy. "Okay, let's get our homework done then so that we don't have anything holding us up once dinner is over, and remember I'm helping with the clean up tonight! Nobody will ever be able to say that Quinn Fabray doesn't know how to earn her keep!"

Rachel laughed as she headed towards the doorway. "Be careful not to say that too loudly when my dads are here! You might get more then you bargained for!" She closed the door but Quinn could hear her giggling as she headed down the hallway to her own bedroom.

The two girls worked diligently at their homework. Rachel's dads came home and checked on them and were pleased to see them both peacefully at work. After spending a couple minutes talking with each girl, they headed downstairs to get dinner ready.

"Rachel seems to be in quite a happy mood today," Daniel mentioned as he got the vegan lasagna from the freezer.

"You noticed that too," Jeremy said. "Both the girls seem to be in much better frames of mind this afternoon. Wonder what we missed?"

When dinner was ready, Jeremy called up to the girls to let them know. Quinn quickly finished the few geometry problems she had left. She knew Rachel was done already as she had heard music come on and assumed that meant Rachel was on her Elliptical machine. She ran in the bathroom, washed her hands and straightened her hair then hurried downstairs to the dining room where everyone was already seated.

Jeremy smiled at Quinn as she entered and took her seat. "How's the homework coming Quinn?"

"Just finished the last of it before coming down to eat," she replied looking over at Rachel with a quick smile. Rachel grinned back excitedly.

"Am I missing something here? Why are you so happy Quinn is done with her homework?" Daniel asked.

"After dinner and chores, Quinn and I are going to watch a movie together since we're both done with our homework already," Rachel explained.

Jeremy and Daniel exchanged glances. "That explains why you were both so hard at work when we got home. Should have known that it wasn't that that you were both so excited about your schoolwork," Jeremy teased.

"Dad! You know I always work hard on my schoolwork!" Rachel argued.

"Relax Rae, dad's just teasing you. We know you are very serious about your grades," Daniel said calmly. Turning to Quinn he asked, "How are your grades Quinn? Are you having trouble with anything either of us can help you with?"

Quinn swallowed her bite of salad before answering. "I have all A's and B's in my classes. I was on the Cheerios so we were not allowed to drop below a 3.5 GPA." She was not used to anyone but Ms. Sylvester being concerned about her grades. Her parents never asked her what was going on in her classes.

"Quinn is smart and talented Daddy. She has a very nice soprano voice," Rachel piped in.

Quinn blushed. "Thanks Rachel but everyone in Glee knows that you have the most talent of all of us."

"Gee Dan; it seems we've stumbled upon the mutual appreciation society right in our own dining room!" Jeremy teased.

"Daddy tell him to stop!" Rachel pleaded, her face turning a bright red in embarrassment.

Quinn giggled. She really was enjoying living with Rachel and her dads. They felt so much more like a real family then any other family she had seen. They actually seemed to care about each other and to listen to one another unlike her own family who never even managed to have a meal together unless it was a holiday or to impress one of her father's clients. She looked over at Rachel and realized with a start that she was quite pretty with her face flushed. Startled at her own thoughts, Quinn quickly looked away. She never thought another girl was attractive!

They ate dinner with a pleasant continuing banter going on amongst the four of them. When the meal was over, Quinn cleared the table and loaded the dishwasher while Rachel washed the table and swept the dining room floor.

"Do you want to shower before we watch the movie so we're all set for the night?" Rachel asked Quinn as they headed back up the stairs.

Quinn nodded. "You can go first in the shower. I'll recheck my geometry to make sure I didn't rush through them."

Quinn headed into her room and checked her math homework while Rachel took her shower and got herself ready for the night. She had just finished putting her books back in her backpack and was getting her pajamas out when Rachel tapped on the bathroom door then opened it into Quinn's room.

"It's all yours Quinn," Rachel called from inside the bathroom before heading into her own room, shutting that door behind her.

Quinn grabbed her clothes then headed into the bathroom to get her shower done. She showered quickly, dried off, got dressed then brushed her teeth and combed her hair. She threw her laundry in the basket then opened the door on Rachel's side.

Rachel was sitting at her desk on her computer. She turned and grinned as Quinn walked in. "I'm just finishing my MySpace video. Go ahead and look through my DVDs and pick out which one you want to watch."

Quinn walked over and began looking through Rachel's extensive collection. "Oh you have 'Jennifer's Body' already!" She grabbed that DVD and brought it over to the TV.

Rachel rolled her eyes. "Figures you pick out the scariest movie I own!"

Quinn laughed. "It isn't that scary and if you think it is so scary, then why did you buy it to begin with?"

Rachel blushed. "I like the movie even though it scares me a little." She crossed her arms over her chest defensively.

"If it makes you feel any better, I hid my face whenever the Wicked Witch came on the screen in 'Wizard of Oz' until I was 10," Quinn confided.

"Oh me too!" Rachel said as she logged off her computer and went to put the DVD in. "Have you read 'Wicked' though? That story makes me feel sorry for her and feel bad that I hated her in the movie."

"I haven't read it but I heard that it was a sad story. Do you have the book? Maybe I could borrow it while I'm living with you." Quinn went to settle on the floor in front of the bed.

"Quinn don't sit on the floor! We can watch it from my bed. You shouldn't be sitting on the floor in your condition!" Rachel reprimanded.

Quinn laughed, "I'm only a couple months pregnant Rachel. I think it is still safe for me to sit on the floor."

"I don't care! I will not let you take any chances with your health so get on my bed!" Rachel ordered.

Quinn fell over laughing at what Rachel had just said. "Get on you bed?"

Rachel blushed vividly. "That isn't how I meant that to come out. Well I did mean to tell you to get on my bed but not because of anything inappropriate. I was just considering your back and the baby," she stammered in embarrassment.

Quinn laughed even harder as Rachel attempted to talk herself out of the embarrassing comment she had made. "Really Rachel, I'm sorry. I know what you meant but it just sounded so funny. You were ordering me to get in your bed!" Quinn exploded into another fit of laughter.

"Oh my gosh! I did!" Rachel realized how it must have sounded and she too was quickly overcome with laughter. After a few minutes she was able to calm down and held her hand out to Quinn. "Come on; let me help you up off the floor so you can sit on my bed."

Quinn took her hand and pushed off of the floor. She climbed up onto Rachel's bed and sat with her back against the wall. "Thanks Rachel."

Rachel climbed up and sat next to her. She grabbed the DVD remote control and started the video. Glancing at Quinn out of the corner of her eye, "You know this is the first time I've had someone in my room since I was about 9," she admitted softly.

Quinn felt her heart go out to the younger girl. She put her arm around her, "Well you went from not having friends over to having a live in friend so I guess we're making up for lost time," she said trying to cheer up her new friend.

Rachel smiled up at Quinn, "Making up for lost time really fast I guess," she said with a laugh.

The two girls sat back and settled in for the movie. Rachel hid her face in Quinn's shoulder at the scarier parts and Quinn realized that Rachel probably had watched the film alone before. No wonder she thought it was scary! After the film ended, Quinn stretched and her top rose up a bit, revealing the slight baby bump. Rachel couldn't help staring at the small, rounded belly. Quinn looked down then placed her hand on the bump.

"Have you felt it move at all yet?" Rachel asked curiously.

Quinn shook her head. "It's still too soon for that I think. I guess I should go see an obstetrician but I don't know if I am still covered under my dad's insurance and I don't have the money anyway."

"Quinn you need to see a doctor. I will talk to my dads in the morning and I am sure they will be able to work something out. They would not want you or the baby to get sick." Rachel said with a concerned tone.

"I don't want them to be put out anymore then they already are by taking me in," Quinn protested.

"I am talking to them in the morning. That is settled. Now we should head into bed. You need your rest and we have school again tomorrow." Rachel said with determination and resolve.

Quinn slid off the bed, "Sleep well Rachel. I'll see you in the morning." She went back through the bathroom into her room and settled into bed. She couldn't believe how much better she was feeling in just twenty-four hours time! She felt safe, wanted and accepted in this little family. She was soon fast asleep.


	8. Chapter 8

Rachel woke and got herself dressed; skipping her exercise routine to make sure she was able to catch her dads before they left. She ran down the stairs and into the kitchen where they were drinking their morning coffee and finishing breakfast.

"Dads I need to talk to you about something very important!" she announced immediately.

Daniel asked, looking concerned, "What's wrong Rae?"

"Quinn is pregnant and has not seen an obstetrician yet and does not know how she will be able to afford to pay for doctor visits. She needs to be seen as soon as possible. Her health and the baby's health need to taken care of."

"She hasn't had any appointments to check the baby yet?" Daniel asked.

"Her parents threw her out as soon as they found out so they obviously are not concerned about Quinn's health never mind the health of the fetus she is carrying," Rachel stated.

"Well I will call our family doctor in a couple of hours and ask her for a recommendation and then try to get Quinn the soonest appointment available. It really was irresponsible for her parents to react in such an archaic way. Quinn is their daughter and that should matter the most to them. I realize her situation is not the best a parent would hope for but being a parent does not end just because you disapprove of your child's choices."

Rachel gave her father a tight hug. "Thank you! I knew you would not turn your back on her!" She then ran back upstairs to check that Quinn was up.

"Considering how terrible Quinn was to Rae up until about a month or so ago, she has already gotten quite attached to her in the last two days time," Jeremy said.

Daniel nodded, finished his coffee then said, "I noticed that too. I just hope that Quinn is being truthful about wanting to change. I hope she doesn't end up hurting Rae even worse by reverting back to her cruel ways once the situation revolving around her pregnancy is over."

Jeremy looked thoughtful for a couple of moments before responding, "Something about the look in Quinn's eyes tells me she is finished tormenting people. She has a similar look of pain that Rae has had due to the harassment that she has gone through. I think now that Quinn has lived through the effects of the teasing herself, she realizes that how she was behaving towards people had a lasting effect on them. I don't think we need to worry about Quinn."

"It's unfortunate that it took having to be hurt herself for her to see how damaging her actions were to others," Daniel commented.

"Dan, she's a teenager. You remember how things were when we were their ages. At least Quinn is changing. Her father seems to be the same ignorant bastard he was back in high school. It takes a lot to admit you were wrong and Quinn has already done that. Give her a chance."

Meanwhile, Rachel was upstairs trying to decide if she should wake Quinn up 10 minutes before she had the alarm set or wait until Quinn got herself up. She was never a patient girl but she forced herself to wait in her room until she heard the water running in the bathroom so that she would not be disturbing the pregnant girl's needed rest. She knocked on the bathroom door, "Quinn? I talked to my dads already."

Quinn finished brushing her teeth then opened the door. "Talked to your dads about what Rachel?" she asked confused.

"About you going to see the obstetrician. My dad is going to talk to our family doctor to get a referral for you and try to get an appointment for you soon."

Quinn felt her heart jump with slight in trepidation. Her hand instinctively fluttered over her stomach. She knew she was pregnant but somehow the idea of going to see a doctor about the baby she was carrying made it all seem more real. "I forgot about you mentioning that last night."

Rachel noticed Quinn's hesitation. "It will be alright Quinn. I'm sure the baby is healthy but it is important that you take care of both your own health and the baby's health."

Quinn slowly walked over to mirror and lifted her shirt up to look at the small raised bump that she knew was her growing child. She slowly ran her hand protectively over it. "I have no idea what to expect at that kind of appointment."

"I don't know what will happen at the appointment but I can go with you if you would like me there for moral support," Rachel offered.

Quinn met Rachel's eyes in the mirror. "You wouldn't mind?"

Rachel stepped closer and gave her a quick hug. "Of course not, that's what friends are for right?"

Quinn laughed. "Yes. Friends are for watching movies with, going shopping together and holding your hand at the OB/GYN's!"

Rachel giggled. "Okay so it may not be the typical thing friends do for each other but seeing as how you spent years tormenting me before we became friends, I hardly consider out friendship to be typical anyways."

The girls got ready and left for another school day. Quinn realized that Rachel had been right about the fact that the first day back to school would be the worst. She still heard the taunts and the rude names she was being called but it wasn't as bad as it had been the day before. She ate lunch with Rachel in her car again and dealt with the stares by ignoring everyone and keeping her head high like Rachel had told her. Soon the day was ending and it was time to head back home with Rachel. She was at work on her homework in her room when she heard a light rapping on her door.

"Come in," she called expecting it to be Rachel.

The door opened and Daniel walked in. "Hi Quinn, I made an appointment for you to see an Ob/Gyn for Monday after school. I assume Rachel won't mind driving you there and bringing you back home seeing as she was so concerned about you getting an appointment this morning."

Quinn felt the anxiety rush back, her hand once again reaching for her belly. "She offered to come with me actually."

"Well then there you go. You two can go together but if Rachel oversteps her boundaries at the appointment, make sure you let her know. Rae has a difficult time noticing when she is intruding into personal affairs that have nothing to do with her," Daniel said with a light grin.

Quinn smiled, "So I've noticed."

Daniel headed back towards the hallway. "I won't distract you from your homework any longer. I just wanted to let you know so that you could make sure to arrange your schedule. I'll see you downstairs at dinner."

"Thank you Daniel," Quinn said as he left her room. Her hand was still on her stomach. She had no idea what the appointment would be like come Monday. She just hoped that it showed that everything was fine with her baby. Her baby. That was the first time she realized that she was thinking of the baby as belonging to her. What would the baby be like when it was born? Was it a girl or a boy? Would it look like her? She had so many confusing thoughts in her mind. She decided to leave the rest of her homework for later and lay down and rest for a bit. She felt the stress of the past few days catching up with her as she lay on the bed and was soon asleep.


	9. Chapter 9

Rachel finished her homework and her exercise routine before her dad called up to let them know that it was time for dinner. She washed her hands and realized that she hadn't heard anything from Quinn's room yet. She tapped on the door and still heard nothing so she opened the door. "Quinn?" she called into the room. She saw Quinn lying out on her bed fast asleep so she walked over to the bed and began to tap her gently.

Quinn awoke with a start. "What?" She sat up in bed and looked around startled. "Rachel? What time is it? Oh my god, I fell asleep! I still have to finish my homework!"

"Calm down Quinn. It's just dinner time. You can finish your homework after dinner," Rachel explained calmly.

Quinn leaned back, realizing it was not as late as she had feared. "I meant to just lie down for a few minutes but I guess I was more tired then I was aware of."

Rachel smiled and replied, "Well you have had quite a difficult couple of days plus you are pregnant so it isn't surprising that you are tired."

"Your dad made an appointment for me to see an Ob/Gyn for Monday," Quinn stated.

Rachel nodded, "Well I am sure Mr. Shue will let us skip one Glee club practice for something this important."

"It makes me really nervous to think about going. What if there is something wrong with my baby Rachel?"

"The baby is only a few months along. You haven't been smoking or drinking. You've been under a great deal of stress and haven't been taking any natal vitamins but I think your baby is fine." Rachel sat down next to her on the bed and gave her a quick hug. "Try not to worry too much about it. Tomorrow is Saturday. I know we don't usually do the same kind of thing on our weekends but I am sure we will be able to come up with something fun to do to pass the time until Monday is here."

Quinn laughed. "Well I don't know exactly what we can do with me being pretty much broke and pregnant."

Rachel shrugged her shoulders. "Window shopping is free and the walking is good exercise for your body. It isn't overly strenuous and is good for your cardiovascular system. Right now, why don't you get ready for dinner? We can work on what to do this weekend later." She got up off of the bed and held her hand out to Quinn.

"Rachel, I can get off the bed fine. I haven't gained that much weight yet!"

Rachel giggled, "I wasn't insinuating that you had Quinn, just offering my hand as a friend."

"Oh, sorry I guess I am a little sensitive about how I will look as I gain more weight."

"Quinn, you won't be getting fat, you will be carrying your growing fetus. You will look beautiful no matter how much you weigh because you will have a life inside you," Rachel stated quietly.

"Thanks Rachel," Quinn said blushing. "It seems strange still to think that I have a child growing inside me. It seems still unreal but when you talk about my baby, you make it sound like it isn't a horrible sin or a bad thing. You make it sound so beautiful and make me feel better about the entire situation. I know that having a baby at 17 isn't the right way to do things and I know that having a baby with someone you were not even in a relationship isn't the right way to do it either but that doesn't make the baby a bad thing. I made several bad choices that night but it doesn't mean I should hate my baby."

"Quinn, things happen and not always the "right way" but I don't hate you for being pregnant and I don't hate your baby. You know Quinn; you never referred to the baby as being "yours" until just now. What changed?" Rachel asked.

Quinn thought for a couple of minutes. "I think it is because of being around you and your dads. Your mom probably didn't have you under the best circumstances but look how happy your family is because you are a family. I think seeing a family that actually is happy together and especially seeing a family that is an adoptive family, made me realize that my baby can be happy and have a good life. That is what is most important to me, that my baby be healthy and happy."

"Wow Quinn. You sound like a real mom saying that," Rachel said looking startled.

Quinn blushed, "That sounds so strange. Me, a mom?"

"Well no matter who raises your baby, you will always be the baby's birth mom so yes, you will be a mom," Rachel stated matter of fact.

"Do you ever think about your birth mom Rachel?" Quinn asked curiously.

"Sometimes I wonder about what she looks like and I wonder if she is a performer like I am. I wonder about what made her decide to give me to my dads. I wonder what it would be like to have her in my life in some way," Rachel stated honestly. "I know that she didn't make an easy choice but I am glad that she did make that choice because I would not have the family that I have if she had not made that decision."

Quinn looked thoughtful. "I just hope that I am making the right choice for my baby."

"Girls? Are you coming down to dinner or should we eat it all ourselves?" they heard Jeremy call up from the bottom of the stairs.

"Sorry dad! We got distracted talking. We will be right down," Rachel called back. "Come on, let's get down there before they do eat all the food!"

Quinn giggled then got off the bed and headed into the bathroom to wash her face and hands and brush out her hair. The two girls headed downstairs together to join Rachel's dads for dinner.


	10. Chapter 10

AN: Re-uploaded when I realized that it had cut off the last of the convo between the girls. Stay tuned for the second half of Quinn & Rachel's shopping trip!

Quinn woke early Saturday morning. She had not set any alarm but her body was apparently rested by just after 9:00AM since she woke up and could not fall back to sleep. She lay in the bed thinking and feeling lazy. This would be her first weekend with Rachel and her dads. She wondered what going shopping with Rachel would be like. Perhaps she could convince Rachel to buy herself a few new items of clothing that had more style to them then Rachel's usual attire, she thought to herself. She missed having her own credit card to use anytime she wanted and the freedom of having the access to her own money. Again she worried about how she would be able to pay back Daniel and Jeremy after she had her baby. She vowed to herself that she would make sure to help out with as much as she could in cleaning around the house. The sound of running water in the bathroom cut through her thoughts. "Rachel must be up," she thought to herself. Sure enough, a few moments later she heard a light rapping on her door.

"Come in Rachel. I'm awake already."

The door opened and Rachel bounced into the room excitedly. "Morning Quinn! Did you sleep alright?"

"Honestly I think I sleep better here then I did at my parent's house. I've just been laying here thinking and wondering about what we were going to be doing today," she replied.

"I was thinking that we would eat breakfast with my dads then we could get ready after that and go to the mall. I know that you don't have the money to buy anything but I have more then enough for us to grab lunch while we are out if you want to have lunch together," Rachel said hopefully.

"I really hate having no money. I feel like I am just becoming more and more of a burden on you and your family," Quinn replied seriously.

"Quinn you are not a burden. Your parents threw you out of your house and abandoned you and your child. You need help right now and it would be wrong of us to not help you. I have plenty of money since I have never really had any friends to go out with so for now, just think of it as being our money. If you need something, just let me know. I know once you start showing more, you are going to need to get some new clothing too so don't worry about that either. My dads are taking care of things with the doctors and we will be right there for you through the pregnancy too."

Quinn once again felt tears welling up. "I really don't know what to say or how to repay the three of you for all that you are doing to help me."

Rachel sat down on the side of the bed and leaned in to give Quinn an awkward hug. "Just be healthy and make sure that the baby is healthy. That is all that matters now Quinn."

Quinn reached up to return Rachel's hug, realizing that she had already gotten quite used to the frequent easy signs of affection and caring that Rachel was quick to display. She felt comforted by them and felt like she belonged.

Rachel sat back up saying, "Now let's go see if Daddy needs any help with breakfast."

The two girls helped with the remaining breakfast preparations and then the group of four sat down to enjoy their meal with one another. It was another pleasant meal full of gentle teasing by Jeremy and lots of giggles from Quinn. After the meal ended, the girls cleaned up then hurried upstairs to get dressed and ready to head to the mall. Quinn finished before Rachel and went down to the living room to wait for the other girl.

"So are you prepared for a day out shopping with Rachel?" Jeremy joked as he came in the room.

Quinn laughed. "A few weeks ago, I would have been spending the day shopping myself and believe me, I am a shopping force to be reckoned with!"

Jeremy chuckled. "Well then perhaps I should be asking Rachel if she knows what she has gotten herself into."

Quinn giggled, "I used to come home with bags of new clothes every weekend actually."

"You have Rachel easily beaten then! She mostly returns with new CD's, DVD's or sheet music."

"I am hoping to convince Rachel to get a couple new outfits," Quinn confessed.

Jeremy reached into his back pocket and pulled out his wallet. He counted out three $20 bills then handed them to Quinn saying, "I noticed when Rae brought your things in from Finn's house, that you didn't have a great deal of clothes or much else to call your own for that matter. Why don't you get yourself a few things that you might need while you are out today."

Quinn blushed. "I can't take your money. I don't know when I will be able to pay you and Daniel back for all that you are doing to help me already."

Jeremy stopped her by interjecting, "We are not looking for any kind of payment for helping you Quinn. You need help and we are able to provide you with it. Just remember it when you are able to help someone else in need someday. You need some things and I am certain you will need some more as time goes along so just stop worrying about paying us back and just take the help."

Quinn felt overwhelmed by her emotions again and sure enough, tears began to spill down her cheeks.

"Quinn! Oh my gosh! What did you do to her Daddy?" Rachel asked accusingly as she entered the room. She rushed over to Quinn and enveloped her in a tight hug once again.

"No Rachel, your dad didn't do anything other then be incredibly nice to me again." Quinn wiped her eyes as she reassured Rachel that everything was okay.

"Sheesh Rae! You would think I was some horrible person the way you are acting. You have wounded my soul," Jeremy clasped his hands over his heart and pretended to swoon.

Rachel rolled her eyes at him then looked up at Quinn, "Can you tell where I got my flair for dramatics?" she asked sarcastically. "Sorry Daddy, I just saw Quinn crying in front of you and jumped to the wrong conclusions. You can stop your melodramatic dying act now."

Quinn giggled as Jeremy sat down on the couch. "Your dad gave me some money to pick things up that I need," she explained to Rachel.

Rachel threw a grin in Jeremy's direction. "Yay! Now we can do more then just window shopping! Thanks Daddy!"

"If I knew you were going to be shopping for windows, I would have given her the money sooner. I don't want to be the one who has to help carry in all the windows," Jeremy quipped as he picked up the newspaper from the coffee table.

"Ugh, let's go Quinn before he comes out with anymore terrible one liners," Rachel said.

Rachel hugged Jeremy quickly then led Quinn out to her car. They drove the short distance to the mall listening to Rachel's CD from Wicked which apparently she knew all the words to the soundtrack and sang along to. Rachel pulled into a parking spot labeled "For Expectant Mothers" in the front of the entrance.

"Rachel, why are you parking here!" Quinn squealed with embarrassment.

"You are an expectant mother Quinn so it is perfectly legal for me to park here. It just so happens to be the nearest empty parking spot there is and I am certain that it will be helpful when we are finished with our shopping," Rachel answered defensively.

Quinn laughed dryly. "Sure Rachel," she answered as she followed Rachel into the already busy shopping plaza.

"What store do you want to start at?" Rachel asked.

"I don't know. Where do you usually shop at?" Quinn asked curiously.

"I mostly shop for movies and music. When I buy clothes, I usually just run into Sears or Wal-Mart," Rachel answered matter-of-factly.

"Eww well how about you try shopping somewhere a little more hip, a little more exciting?"

"There is nothing wrong with my attire Quinn. I thought we agreed that you would not be teasing me anymore," Rachel said sounding hurt.

"I'm not teasing Rachel, I just thought that maybe you would let me give you a few fashion tips. Nothing drastic I promise, just a few new things to add to your wardrobe," Quinn answered reassuringly.

"Nothing strange or freakish?"

"Rachel I swear that I am just going to show you some different ideas. I'm not going to force you to buy them or wear them at all. I just thought that maybe you would like some suggestions. You don't have a strong female figure in your life to show you how to put things together and you've never had any close girl friends either."

Rachel blushed. "Well I guess suggestions won't hurt. Where do you want to start?"

Quinn grinned and bounced on her toes excitedly. "I love shopping for other people! It's almost as much fun as shopping for me! Why don't we try Sweet 16 first? They usually have things that are cute but not excessively expensive."

Rachel thought about the store. She had never been in it before. She really wasn't confident about going in a store for girls her age when she knew that her size made her look several years younger then she really was. If she went in with Quinn, maybe then the people who worked there would not seem so intimidating. "Okay Quinn, I guess I will give them a chance." She threw her shoulders back, lifted her chin and proceeded towards the store Quinn had suggested as if she was preparing to battle.

Quinn giggled, "Relax Rachel. We're going shopping not shipping out to Afghanistan!"

Rachel tried to relax her figure as they entered the brightly lit store. She followed Quinn around as Quinn passed her skirts and tops. When Quinn was satisfied, she led Rachel to the dressing rooms and plopped herself down on a chair in front of the dressing area. Rachel sighed but took the clothing in to try them on.

Quinn waited excitedly to see how Rachel would look in her choices. Rachel stepped out in the first outfit she had chosen for her: a grey herringbone matelot mini skirt with a white button down men's style shirt.

Rachel smiled shyly at Quinn, turned around in a circle then asked, "Do I look silly?"

"No Rachel. You look really ha- good in that outfit! It fits you perfectly!" Quinn blushed. What was she doing thinking that Rachel Berry looked hot? God her hormones sure were making her think a lot of different things lately.

"Do you really mean that? You really think that this looks good on me?" Rachel asked self-consciously.

"I definitely mean it. You really should get that outfit," Quinn replied, nodding her head to show how much she meant that the outfit was perfect for Rachel.

Rachel smiled then returned to the dressing room to try the next outfit on. She stepped out wearing the floral lace overlay black and silver dress. Again she looked shyly at Quinn while asking, "How does this look on me."

"Wow Rachel you look really pretty in that dress! See, you are a really pretty girl but you don't let anyone get to see that under your teddy bear sweaters!" Quinn jumped up and gave Rachel a quick hug. "I love seeing you in these things. You look so much prettier and so much older! If you wear this dress, nobody will think that you are a 12 year old!"

Rachel laughed. "I may just take you up on your fashion tips Quinn. So far they have made my day!" She bounced back to try on the third outfit.

Quinn waited excitedly while Rachel tried on the final outfit. When Rachel came out, Quinn felt the blood rushing to her cheeks. This outfit was the most similar to what Rachel typically wore but in the right combination, what looked usually like a poor girls school uniform now looked like the sexy schoolgirl that was chased by all the teenage boys. Wearing a red and navy blue wide striped pleated wool skirt and a merino wool navy blue v-neck sweater, Rachel stepped over towards Quinn.

"We joked that your outfits would have looked like a sexy school girl costume but that outfit just screams sexy school girl!" Quinn could not get over the difference in Rachel just by showing her how to put the clothing together so that the outfits fit well and looked good together.

Rachel blushed. "This is the outfit I like the best. It doesn't look that much different from what I normally wear."

"It looks most like your normal attire but without looking like you went shopping at the little girls department instead of buying clothes that fit you right," Quinn clarified. "Why don't you take the tags off of the clothes and bag yours and wear this outfit out?"

"You really think it looks good on me? You are not just joking?" Rachel asked self-consciously.

"I really think it does," Quinn replied. Thinking to herself, "Do I think she looks good? I think she looks gorgeous! Why do I think she looks gorgeous? What is going on with me? Since when did I start thinking any girl was attractive?"

"Okay then I will just get the rest of the clothes, pay and we can go shopping for some things for you!" Rachel turned and hurried back to the dressing room, grabbed her own clothes, picked up the other outfits and headed to the register.


End file.
